The Original Family
by poopaw
Summary: The Originals are dying under the watchful eyes of the Mystic Falls locals. Humanity attacks strongest in partnership with death.
1. Prologue

**The Original Family**

by poopaw

(Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries)

_"Other things may change us, but we start and end with the family."_

**Anthony Brandt**

* * *

><p><em>This little piggy went to market.<em>

Stefan and Caroline circle him continuously, ready for any outburst that might happen. The Original came to enemy territory, ready to bargain. But now, he is on his knees, growing weaker and weaker.

Stefan waits for the pained yell that is threatening to erupt from the Original's lips. Caroline tries not to notice the way his eyes are watering with agony.

* * *

><p><em>This little piggy stayed at home.<em>

Elena warily hands the Original sitting in her living room a cup of tea. The powerful being merely nods his head politely and sips.

She wonders how is it that this man is so calm while she feels like she's the one with the life being magically drained from her system.

* * *

><p><em>This little piggy had roast beef.<em>

Tyler quietly watches him in the alley. The clueless Original leads a woman deeper into the darkness, seducing her with his smile and tantalizing eyes. The woman lets out a soft gasp before he starts to drain her dry.

Tyler allows the man to have one last sip of sin before he tells him of his impending death.

* * *

><p><em>And this little piggy had none.<em>

Alaric moves into the shadows, allowing Damon to take control of the situation.

The Salvatore brother approaches the Original with grace, mocking the vampire with his actions. The Original merely stands there, head held high even when she can feel her grip on life slipping from her freshly manicured nails. Damon nods and admires her strength, despite the situation.

Unfortunately, the admiration is fleeting.

* * *

><p><em>And this little piggy went . . .<em>

The Original finally finds the mausoleum deep in the forest, hidden from any life form.

She finds herself gripping her chest tightly. She feels as if her heart is beginning to falter, its beats diminishing and her blood slowly stopping its trip through her veins.

But that's completely ridiculous since her heart had stopped beating centuries ago.

She crawls into the tomb where her husband had rest for decades and closes her eyes. She allows herself to imagine the moments when life had been free of this curse. A memory comes up when her husband had his arm around her shoulders and her children were talking animatedly with one another in front of her.

She smiles as she feels the darkness slowly engulf her senses.

"_Wee, wee, wee" all the way __**home**__._

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Basically, this is about the last few moments of the Original Family. More will be explained soon (how the Originals are dying and what not) but I aim to make this really short. There will be one chapter per Original. I will focus more on the interactions of the characters with each other rather than how is it possible that they're dying.<p>

Tell me what you think? (Don't forget to check my other TVD works!)


	2. Chapter 1: Niklaus Mikaelson

**The Original Family**

by: poopaw

(Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries)

**Chapter 1: **

Niklaus Mikaelson

* * *

><p>When the pain becomes too unbearable, he knows it's too late for him to do anything.<p>

Klaus gathers enough strength and hauls himself up and out of his empty mansion – the same mansion that he built for his family, the family that ended up abandoning him (except for Rebekah. Though he would never admit it, he has so much love for the sister that never left). Although he was quite sure that the nerves in his brain were snapping one by one, he continues down the path that will eventually lead him to Caroline Forbes' house.

He has a plan – cause a fit, make sure that Elena's little group of friends will remember him as the Original who fought until his last dying breath. He will look tough and every bit of big bad that he knows is.

Klaus won't tell them how his plan also means he'd spend his last moments on Earth in the presence of the first person to ever make him feel human in over a century. That kind of sap isn't made for monsters like him – or at least, that's what everybody keeps on telling him.

* * *

><p>Caroline hears him before Stefan could. They are both in her house, preparing themselves for the ambush that they were going to perform on Klaus in his mansion. Bonnie is currently casting a spell that will slowly suck the life out of each Original. As far as they're concerned, the plan is practically foolproof. Once Bonnie starts, there is no way any of the Originals can intercept.<p>

"You act like Klaus bait is such a hard task, Caroline," Stefan broods from the corner of her living room, the last white oak stake in hand. "And to answer your question, you will be accompanying me because I'm sure Klaus won't go down without a fight. You're the least likely member of the group he won't kill."

Stefan continues to talk but she drowns him out. She merely focuses on the labored breathing a few miles away from her house. It's soft and she's pretty sure the pained groaning she could hear is how a dying person would sound like. Caroline steals a dagger from Stefan's pile and whispers him to be quiet before carefully marching out in the hallway, making a path towards her front door.

Thankfully, Stefan immediately shuts up. A few seconds later, Stefan is right beside her and gives her a look that she's taken to understand that he's heard what she's heard.

"I know you're in there," a voice calls out from outside her door. Caroline listens carefully and estimates that the person is more or less ten feet away from her front porch. "Come out or I swear to God, I will fucking destroy your house. I am allowed in, remember, _love_?"

She's sure Stefan's lips curls into a smirk when he hears the anger in his enemy's voice. Caroline only finds herself frowning, the anger is oblivious to her ears. Never in her life had she heard someone sound so pained saying the one word that is supposed to cause happiness – love.

Stefan immediately opens the door and runs arrogantly towards the ticking time bomb on her lawn. She sighs and grips the dagger in her hand even stronger, preparing herself for the battle that is bound to happen – physically or otherwise (emotionally, if she's honest to herself).

* * *

><p>When Stefan's eyes finally see the man who had caused so much pain and suffering, he laughs to himself. Klaus is on the lawn, one knee on the ground, his hands clutching his head in a way to alleviate the pain. All he could think of <em>was finally, finally, finally<em>. Every sacrifice that he has done will finally be worth it. To see this man die before his very eyes was enough revenge.

"Hello Klaus," he says with mirth. The only thing illuminating the Original's face is Caroline's front porch light. They made sure to cast the spell on a night that isn't haunted by the full moon. They need all the manpower they could find – Tyler included, hybrid or not. "How are you today?"

Klaus visibly growls, his eyes boring enough anger to stir something in Stefan's subconscious. His mind is telling him to be cautious. Dying or not, this vampire is an Original – and in his opinion, the strongest of them all (Mikael or Original witch be damned – they were absolutely pathetic anyway). But his arrogance is feeding on the mere fact that Klaus is still kneeling on the ground, practically rendered paralyzed by Bonnie's spell. So, Stefan pushes further.

"What's up? Feeling a little," he pauses, taking a few steps towards the vampire. "Under the weather?"

Klaus' eyes move over his shoulder and Stefan knows he's looking at Caroline. He ignores how Klaus' fangs retracted at the sight of the blonde baby vampire. He takes a quick look back at Caroline – she's on the front porch, her posture ready for action but her expression is somewhat unreadable – and flashes her a quick thumbs up before running towards Klaus, his speed making him disappear in a blink of an eye.

The Original suddenly grows alert and before he knows it, Stefan appears behind him in an instant. "Peek-a-boo," he taunts before delivering a swift kick to Klaus' side, successfully making him crash on the front porch. A loud wail of pain erupts from the mess of wood and vampire.

Stefan smirks and thinks, _Yup, revenge is sweet. _

"Son of a –" Caroline whispers before reprimanding him loudly. "Stefan! Did you really have to destroy my porch? My mom is going to kill me!"

"That's really the last of my worries right now, Caroline."

And with his attention on Caroline, he fails to see Klaus until he's tackled back on the ground, a piece of wood diving straight into his stomach.

* * *

><p>Oddly enough, Klaus's strength appears immediately after he crashes painfully on the porch. He hears Caroline yell angrily. <em>This is his chance<em>, he thinks, _a moment of distraction._ Klaus ignores how he can practically feel the life being sucked out of him by an unknown entity and grips the closest piece of wood. From that point onwards, everything just feels natural – like he suddenly turned on the auto-pilot button.

He can't even begin to describe how exhilarating it was to drive the wood into Stefan's stomach. He could've driven it straight towards his heart but what's the fun in an easy kill? Might as well enjoy himself before dying.

"Stop your witch or I will kill you the next time," he whispers threateningly. His body is tethering on the edge of unconsciousness already. Klaus can feel it suffocating him but he'll fight, just for a bit longer. When he hears Caroline's sharp intake of breath and sudden movements, he stops her quickly. "Don't even think about it, love. One move and I will end little Ripper's life here."

One thing that always seems to amaze him is this new vampire's courage and loyalty to her friends. So, when Caroline ignored his warning and violently pulled him off of Stefan, Klaus felt a little bit more human again – maybe if his age old heart was still beating, it would've went crazy at the slightest touch.

"Stefan!" Caroline cries out. She pulls the stake away and turns towards Klaus. He takes note of how her eyes seem to be burning incredibly bright tonight (he also ignores how the burning seems to be anger directed towards him).

"You don't get it, do you?" Caroline screams at him, the dagger firmly lodged in her hand. "You're practically dying and you're spending your last moments killing people? Well, newsflash, Klaus! Killing Stefan will not save your life. Killing me will not save your life!"

Klaus realizes that Caroline is now stalking towards him. He might feel human at the moment but he isn't stupid. He knows he still has enough strength to attack her. He could take her out and leave the world a wreck. His last big _hurrah_.

"Okay, you know what? Get this through your thick, sinful head. You, Klaus, will die tonight. You can't do anything to help yourself. And no one's going to help you either because no one cares for you. A monster like you deserves no one! This world deserves to be rid of your family!"

Caroline's words stung. But he thinks of what she had just said and that forces an epiphany out of him. An alone and dying Rebekah flashes through his mind and all that remaining strength suddenly disappears. All this time, he was under the impression that he would be the only one dying by the end of the night. To hear that Kol, Elijah, and Ester were dying along with him would have been fine. But with Rebekah – it was as if the wind got knocked out of him.

With Caroline towering over him, all he could think of was his little sister that could possibly be dying (or dead already) right now. The teenage girl – a woman centuries old but with the heart of a seventeen year old – could be dying at this very moment and her big brother isn't there to help her through it.

Klaus suddenly finds himself falling on the cold ground, feeling far too human than he's comfortable with.

* * *

><p>Caroline finds herself intrigued by this particular vampire. Especially when said vampire drops on the ground with the most pained expression she has ever seen when only a few seconds ago, he was on a stake-thrusting rampage.<p>

"Klaus?"

And she isn't blind, by the way. She's been observing how Klaus has been acting since he arrived on her lawn. He doesn't have that powerful aura he always seems to exude. The vein on his forehead is protruding more so than usual. And his eyes are dark and strained – as if the angel of death was haunting his every moment.

Klaus looks up at her. She has to remind herself that this man is a monster. He certainly doesn't deserve the pity that suddenly took place in her emotions. "Everyone's dying?" he whispers. "Rebekah – she's out – I have to –"

Stefan limps beside her and together, they watch as one of the most powerful vampires on Earth attempts to stand. Caroline glances at her watch and grimaces. If Bonnie is following their timetable, it's only a matter of time before life leaves Klaus.

"You won't make it," Stefan tells him. Caroline glances at Stefan and sees how sober he is. She's glad he isn't going insane anymore. There was absolutely nothing good about his plan of torturing the dying Original.

"You're going to _die_," Stefan says louder now. "If I were you, I'd just stay still and wait for it."

Klaus' eyes widen and his breaths turn harsher now. "Your witch," he gasps, his hand clutching at his chest. "Make her stop. Make her stop!"

Caroline stays silent. She's afraid that if she talks, word of comfort would escape her lips. Seeing someone dying right before her eyes, no matter how evil, is never easy – especially when that someone had saved her life a few months ago.

Stefan moves to Klaus' other side, effectively locking Klaus in a circle between the two of them. "You know you deserve this, Klaus."

Klaus surprises her when he locks his eyes on her. When he speaks, his voice is light and defeated. "You should see the world. Everything's so much beautiful outside Mystic Falls, sweetheart."

She freezes, remembering his words. Is he manipulating her into feeling guilty? Just because he saved her life, it doesn't mean she owes him anything. Right?

"Bullshit," Stefan chuckles under his breath. Caroline throws him a look that silences him.

"Does it hurt?" she asks quietly after a few minutes. She watches as Klaus leans his head on the cold grass, sighing heavenly when his forehead touches the ground. The cold must soothe the pain then.

He chuckles weakly. "Like a fucking bitch, _Caroline_."

(She flinches at the use of her name. She'd never admit it out loud but she's gotten used to his pet names for her.)

She doesn't know why she pities this monster in front of her. A moment ago, he had just stabbed Stefan in the stomach. A small part of her wants to save him like he saved her. He's the first one to actually tell her how much potential she has, how she can take the world by storm if she just tried. But then, the larger part of her wants him to just _die_. There's too much pain and hurt that comes with package of being in Klaus' vicinity.

Briefly, she pictures a life where Klaus was human and loved by his family. He probably would have turned out better, she decides.

* * *

><p>Stefan knows what Klaus is doing. In a way, their minds are alike. Someone as powerful as Klaus wants to die with the knowledge that he will be remembered. Klaus knows he can't do anything to save his life anymore but that doesn't mean he's not going to go without a bang. He wants to remembered as a great Original, full of power and strength. What Bonnie is doing to him – it's stripping him of that honor. Bonnie is draining the life out of him.<p>

Klaus deals with it by having bursts of strength from time to time, trying to make himself the bad guy again. Just like any other man, vampire or not, he doesn't want to be seen as someone weak. But the thing is – Klaus is constantly caught off guard because just as he's shaking with power, Bonnie quickly brings him back down.

Like right now, for example. Just a few moments ago, Klaus had stabbed him. But now, he's spewing off words of sweetness towards Caroline. Normally, Stefan would be suspicious of this. Klaus is just probably distracting Caroline, so that he can attack again. But at this very moment, he knows Klaus cannot control himself anymore. There's no experience more human than the experience of tethering on the edge of life and death.

"Get up," Stefan suddenly speaks up. "Get up, Klaus."

Klaus looks his way and glares. "Don't you think that if I could, I would?"

Stefan twirls the white oak stake in his hand and cocks an eyebrow. "Get up. I still have to pay you back for that stab you gave me. And I don't like fighting with an advantage, so get up."

"Stefan," Caroline tries to pull him back but he merely shrugs her off.

"What's the matter, Klaus? Not the big bad Original, anymore?" he taunts. "Not much of a hybrid now, huh?"

Stefan counts until two seconds before Klaus hauls himself up to his feet, a growl erupting from his lips. The Original Vampire crouches with his fangs glinting in the light, his posture obviously ready for any attack that may occur. Stefan inwardly acknowledges Klaus' sloppy stance. He can easily be overturned by just a swift kick on the leg. A quick glance at Caroline and he sees how she notices the same thing about Klaus. But the both of them keep their observations to themselves.

Stefan hates Klaus. But he understands him and his train of thought, as well. If Klaus wants to prove his strength as he is about to die, Stefan's not going to strip him of this. Not only will it put an end to Klaus' misery, but Stefan himself will have the satisfaction of killing the hybrid that had caused so much trouble for all of them.

It's a win-win situation.

Stefan does _not_ feel pity for this man. That isn't why he's doing this.

It isn't.

* * *

><p>When he feels the stake penetrate through his skin, it feels like everything suddenly turned into slow motion. He watches silently as Stefan moves a step away from him, a sober look on his face.<p>

_Odd_, Klaus thinks, _he should've been triumphant._

It was as if somebody was carefully placing him on the ground. His eyes practically rolled in ecstasy when he felt the cold grass surround his body. It was absolutely soothing. He could no longer feel the spell the Bennett witch is casting. The nerves in his brain stopped snapping. His gut stopped twisting. Even his heart stopped functioning as well, actually. He only feels it slowly contracting.

Klaus wonders how long until it just . . . _stops_.

_This is a good way to go_, he thinks to himself. He managed to make that Salvatore brother bleed anyway. In his state of weakness, that's as good as it going to get. Also, he spent his last hour in the presence of Caroline Forbes. It never fails to amaze him that a baby vampire is the one to get him to feel human again. Those emotions he had for her – it was something he had never experienced as a human.

The only situation he could compare it to was the girl he had to share with Elijah. And that particular memory didn't end well for either party, that's for sure.

Klaus opens his eyes and sees said woman kneeling beside him. She doesn't look particularly sympathetic but he'll take what he can get.

"Hello, love," he rasps.

Caroline sighs and flashes him a small smile. "Hey."

"Not bad, eh?" he smirks weakly at her. "This is a good way to go, I reckon."

He sees Stefan move a few feet away and he's grateful for the "privacy" he's given them.

"Does it still hurt?"

"No. I just feel relaxed, actually. No more of that pain Bonnie is doing," he pauses and looks at Caroline pensively. "Tell the witch something for me? Tell her I fucking hate her. She'll appreciate the love."

Caroline chuckles under her breath, shaking her head in mirth. "Don't worry, I will."

Klaus nods and closes his eyes. He can feel it coming. _Death_.

He thinks of Rebekah. Not the possibly dying one right now but an eight year old Rebekah who always begged her older brothers to play with her. His siblings were the only thing good about his human life. Klaus remembers his ruthless father (who he gleefully killed, by the way) and his selfish mother. It's a good thing he's bringing that bitch down with him, he supposes.

"_You're lucky you're my favorite sister, Bekah,"_

_Thirteen year old Rebekah rolls her eyes_ – the same way she did when he had said something to her yesterday that particularly annoyed her. Klaus smiles at the memory.

"_I'm your only sister, Nik."_

Klaus opens his eyes and sees Caroline looking at him questioningly.

"_Come down from there, Kol," _

_Seven year old Kol climbs a tree and now, his older brothers Klaus, Elijah, and Finn are trying to coerce him down._ He shrugs at her, too weak to explain the suddenly onslaught of memories in his mind.

_Elijah sighs, "Father's coming home soon, Kol."_

"_You have to get down," Finn yells._

"_I can't," Kol is openly crying now. The three brothers look at each other and nod. Together, they all climb to save their little brother. Five year old Rebekah cheers from below, clapping happily when all of her brothers come down in one piece. _

Klaus takes a deep breath and holds his hand out for Caroline to take. He cocks an eyebrow when she takes it. He hadn't expected her to do that. She rolls her eyes and mutters something incoherently.

"I'm going to travel for a bit after I graduate high school," she whispers after awhile.

He presses a kiss on the back of her hand. "You deserve it. You deserve to be more than just Miss Mystic Falls, love."

Klaus looks behind her and sees Stefan staring at them pensively. He gives him the slightest of nods, an acknowledgment, an apology – whatever Stefan decodes it to be. When the Salvatore nods back at him, he closes his eyes one last time.

He _revels_ at the memories flashing before his very eyes, accompanying him until the very end.

"_Is that what this is all about? You just don't want to be alone?"_

"_I want us to be a family again."_

"_Nobody cares about you anymore, boy! Who do you have other than those whose loyalty you force? No one. No one!"_

"_I get it. Your father didn't love you, so you assume that no one else will either. And that's why you compel people or you sire them or you try to buy them off, but that's not how it works. You don't connect with people because you don't even try to understand them."_

"_Long time, brother."_

"_This is for our mother."_

"_Do you know why I'm here?"_

"To kill me," he remembers that moment. And now, even if he knows it was all a lie, Klaus can never forget how much that moment meant to him. At that very moment, he felt good again.

"_Niklaus, you are my son. And I am here to forgive you."_

Klaus chooses to die with that memory.

* * *

><p>She owes him. Klaus saved her life – not just by giving her his blood but by opening her eyes. He made her aware that life doesn't end in Mystic Falls. Her biggest dream should not be to simply win Miss Mystic Falls. That's why she held his hand, told him everything he wanted to hear (all of them were true, anyway, so it wasn't that hard).<p>

Caroline staggers towards Stefan's body when Klaus finally releases her hand.

"To kill me," she watches him whisper to himself. She doesn't understand what Klaus is talking about but both of them can hear the emotion behind the words. She wishes she didn't hear it. It's easier to hate someone heartless.

Together, they watch as Klaus' body stills – the stake effectively taking Klaus' life away. It only takes a few more minutes before Bonnie's spell takes place, turning the once feared hybrid into ashes.

When Caroline presses her face to his chest, Stefan doesn't acknowledge the tear he felt drop onto his skin. If they didn't say anything about the tears that escaped Klaus' eyes a few moments before he died, then who was he to say anything about Caroline's?

"It's done, let's go," he mumbles, guiding Caroline back in the house.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: There it is. First chapter with Klaus dying. I don't know. I'm not too happy with the way I wrote this. I must have had like, ten versions of how Klaus would die and none of them felt right. Sometimes, it was too short. Or sometimes, it would be too long, too emotional. Or some of it will be too Klaus/Caroline-centric. I just can't write Klaus and Caroline together without them having some sort of romantic thing. I'm too much of a fan. I tried to stop myself but I just couldn't. And then, there's Stefan and his attachment to Klaus - which I cannot also put into words because it gets too emotional at times that it actually gets this romantic feel that just isn't right.

Klaus is just so complex, I can't write him as well as I could have. I know I didn't bring much justice for Klaus in this chapter but I promise to make the other Originals better. I will try my best.

Tell me what you think so I can improve myself? That would be lovely.


	3. Chapter 2: Elijah Mikaelson

**The Original Family**

by: poopaw

(Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries)

**Chapter 2:**

Elijah Mikaelson

* * *

><p>Sometimes, she wonders what her parents would say to her if they could talk to her – now that she's affiliated with vampires and what not. Would they hate her? Detest her for everything she's done? Or would they mimic Elizabeth Forbes and Carol Lockwood's actions and offer her support and protection?<p>

Elena likes to believe that she knew her parents very well but the hidden Gilbert journals are saying otherwise because like it or not, everything their family had _stood_ for, she was now going _against_.

But most of the time, she tries not to think about that (her parents, her ethics, and her now-vampire friends) because honestly, her life is already troubling as it is. There's no use adding more emotional baggage.

Unfortunately for her though, this is _not_ one of those times.

Elena remembers how her mother was very adamant that she grow up to be an elegant and well-mannered woman. Saturday afternoons were their time together while Jeremy and their dad would go fishing. When Elena was younger, her mother would give her hot chocolate while she had tea. Elena would pretend that her drink was tea and then, she and her mother would pretend that they were invited to a tea party fit only for queens and princesses.

_If you want to be Miss Mystic Falls, Lena, you have to be a lady, _her mother used to say.

When Elena grew into a teenager, those Saturday afternoons pretending to be princesses turned into actual afternoons drinking tea with her mother. Elena would allow her mother to catch up with her life, seeing as on weekdays, she is about the busiest bee in school. She would divulge all about her fights with Matt, her disputes with Caroline about school dances – everything and anything under the sun really.

As a little girl, she recalls how she would listen intently, hanging onto every word that comes out of her mother's mouth.

_You_ _never know when one of these petty lessons would come in useful some time in your life_, she remembers thinking.

At this very moment though, Elena remembers one particular lesson that her mother had taught her – one must never fail to be polite when guests come to visit the house.

_Open the door, greet with a smile, usher them in, and offer them tea_, her mother had said.

At the time, Elena never really thought to ask if deadly Original vampires were to be treated as guests. With the situation standing right in front of her, she really had no clue what the protocol was.

"Good evening, Elena."

She simply stands there, slack jawed. Oh, if only her mother could see her now. She would probably gently push Elena aside and handle the situation with poise and elegance fit only for someone who has managed to earn the title of Miss Mystic Falls.

"May I come in?"

Elena's mind does a quick internal check for any weapons she could use against this particular Original. Unfortunately, all she could think of was a set of kitchen knives beside the stove. Even if she ran as fast as she could, the vampire could easily outrun her, seeing as he has been invited in before. (She quickly counts how many vampires have actually been invited to her home and the numbers are _dangerously_ and _ridiculously_ high)

"I understand that you may be at a loss of words but it would be polite to invite me in," the Original nods curtly at her, an attempt to get her attention.

She breathes deeply, inwardly cursing her supernatural friends for forcing her into her home. And she isn't even overreacting. When she says forced, it really is forced. Bonnie had cast a spell around her house, completely entrapping her inside her property until said witch comes back and undoes the spell. It's completely frustrating.

Damon had scoffed when she attempted put up a fight. _It would be safer for you_, he said. _We'll take care of the Originals_, he said_. We got it all under control_, he said. _We're vampires, Elena. We can handle a bunch of dying Originals. Don't worry. Just go watch some 90210 or whatever it is teenagers watch these days_, he said.

He never said anything about an Original visiting, that's for sure.

Elena breathes deeply and opens the door wider for her guest, a subtle invite. She figures out that she should at least cater to his needs and not piss him off enough to kill her. If Bonnie's spell is working anyway, it's only a matter of time before the Original drops dead.

"Elijah," she shakily greets with a very weak and very forced smile. "Come on in."

_Open the door, greet with a smile, usher them in, and offer them tea_, she said.

* * *

><p>Elena shows him to the living room, her movements calculated and on the edge. He ignores her erratic heartbeat because he can feel his own heart contracting a little bit more now, forcing him to retire on one of the sofas. He watches the doppelganger disappear towards the kitchen and he briefly wonders if she will actually attempt to battle with him.<p>

_Oh_, he thinks to himself, quite surprised, _she's making tea._

Elijah tunes out the human's actions and closes his eyes. He feels every contraction committed by his thousand year old heart. Every prick to his brain makes him flinch in the slightest of ways, quite unnoticeable to the human eye. But he knows. He knows what's going on. He welcomes the event with open arms. Unlike his siblings who are probably trying to fight against it, he accepts it with pride and –

"Tea?"

He opens one eye and sees a nervous Elena Gilbert standing a few steps away from him. Her hands are shaking, to her utmost annoyance, it seems. He gives her a tight smile and takes the cup from her grasp. He gestures for her to sit down as he takes a sip.

The taste reminds him of England, of their country home with hectares of field surrounding it. It reminds of the time when they were all together – Niklaus, Rebekah, Kol, and even Finn. It happened only once. To come together once again would be foolish during that for Mikael was still on the loose. Klaus would take Rebekah riding on his prized horses. Kol would force Finn outside the house to frolic along the nearby village. As his siblings were going on about, he would perch himself on the porch and watch them go on. Simply seeing his family together, knowing first hand that they are safe was enough for him.

"Thank you," he nods at her. Elena looks wary and tense. He doesn't bother to comfort her because in a matter of hours, he will be reunited with his family again. And knowing that they will be eternally safe afterwards gives him a sense of peace that has been missing for almost a century.

* * *

><p>Elena wonders how is it that this man is so calm while she feels like she's the one with the life being magically drained from her system. She watches him closely as he finishes his cup of tea. She takes note of his usual attire and cracks a smile at this. She expected nothing less from the lone Original vampire who had shown her a bit more compassion than the rest of them.<p>

"Elijah," she's surprised to hear her own voice act on its own accord.

The powerful being looks at her with a tilt of his head – a silent acknowledgment.

Elena opens and closes her mouth a few times before finally mustering up the courage to speak up once again. "Ha – have you come to," she clears her throat, obviously discomforted by the whole scenario before her. "– extract revenge?"

If she could just slam her head over the coffee table without embarrassing herself even further, she probably would have. The situation is already quite delicate and she feels like she just made it worse with her question. She had helped execute the plan that will inevitably result in the death of his entire family. If the roles were reversed, she wouldn't hesitate in snapping his neck.

But to her utmost surprise, one corner of the Original vampire's lips twitch upward in amusement. That is soon followed by a shake of his head. "I assure you, Elena, that I am not here to murder you as your friends are doing to me. I give you my word."

He brings up his impending death as if it was simply the weather forecast of the day. Her eyes widen and she coughs quite loudly. Surely, he is just playing with her emotions?

"Why are you here then?"

Elijah places the delicate china on her coffee table and studies her carefully. Elena finds herself on the edge of her seat, torn between running away from the supernatural being and staying to find out his answer. In the end, he doesn't answer her question. He speaks of a new topic instead.

* * *

><p>"You are unlike the other Petrova doppelgangers," he muses with a haughty raise of his eyebrow.<p>

Elena leans back on her seat, silently allowing him to steer the topic to safer ground. It would be best to let him control, seeing as he is still stronger than she can ever hope to be, even on his last dying breath.

Elijah loosens his tie and ignores the sharp throbbing from the corner of his temple. "Tatia and Katerina, as you already know, have both betrayed me and my brother. Tatia's carelessness with the feelings of my brother and I had damaged more of Niklaus than I. She took pleasure in the betrayal, reveling in her masterpiece of deceit. Katerina, on the other hand, was smarter than we thought. She had known of my . . . attraction to the Petrova line and, for the lack of a better term, _used_ me in order to escape Niklaus' obsession – a means to an end, if you may."

He looks at the latest doppelganger and sees her shift uneasily in her seat. She must be seeing the resemblance between all Petrova women – other than their looks, there was the ever present knack to come between two brothers. He does not mean to point out her faults, so he continues in an attempt to take her mind off of it.

"However, Katerina was also a coward. Unlike Tatia, who was proud of what she had done, Katerina had run away. She was unable to face the consequences of her actions. And that had made her weak," Elijah closes his eyes for a moment, feeling his breath quicken a little – whether because of the reminder of the women whom he had loved and lost or the fact that his life was slipping away from him, he did not know.

Elena shifts to the edge of her seat and to his surprise, she moves from her current position to the seat beside him. He feels rather than sees her hesitation before a hand rests on his knee. His body tenses and his eyes immediately opens but her hand never waivers from its position. She doesn't dare speak though.

He forces a small smile to appear on his lips. "You, Miss Gilbert, however are courageous," he gestures to her hand that is still on his knee. It gives him some kind of comfort he never knew he needed. He ignores the way his body seems to have fallen numb. It would be of no use to dwell on it any further. "You do not run away from danger. You commit mistakes and you see to it. You have a certain nobility that often lacks from the people of this generation."

She bows her head in an attempt to turn his compliments away. He sees that it makes her uncomfortable. But he doesn't care at this point. He deems it necessary to finish what he has already started.

"I see how you act with the Salvatore brothers," at this, she finally withdraws her hand. Ah, a sore spot. "I do not wish to upset you, Elena. But it is a Petrova trait that one cannot simply outgrow. Or at least, that is my theory. But unlike Tatia, you do not find joy in tearing them apart, do you?"

She shifts her gaze away from him now. Elijah suppresses the urge to suddenly scream as his spine seems to have adapted to a new kind of pain. He is glad that she is not looking at him anymore. He cannot mask the pain that settles on his face. He figures that his time is dripping to an end and decides to wrap things up.

"I came here because you remind me of my humanity, Elena. You remind me of the time when I truly believed in good things. And I found it only fitting to finish my reign of terror and hypocrisy in the presence of pure, unadulterated goodness."

Elijah does not know if he has also fallen to the traps of this Petrova doppelganger. He cannot know for sure, seeing as there were only a handful of times he had spent with her. But what he is sure of is that Elena Gilbert reminds him of simpler times. She reminds him of falling in love for the first time with Tatia, of the innocence that had surrounded him (before she had shown him her true colors, of course). She reminds him of the bravery and camaraderie that his brothers would always show against Mikael when they were children. These feelings comforted him to no ends.

And as he enters a new and unknown world once again, he cannot help but hold onto whatever comfort he can find.

* * *

><p>Elena doesn't say anything at all in response to his words. She cannot find it in herself to find the right words to further ease his death. He has shown her a side of him that is dripping with vulnerability and for an Original vampire, she knows how hard that must be.<p>

So, she simply stays in her seat beside him. She monitors his breathing and his actions. She sees how every minute, he deteriorates in the slightest of ways until finally, he opens his eyes. Elijah stiffly nods at her and stands up. He adjusts his suit (not that it would do any good, she still finds herself at awe about his impeccable looks and demeanor) and simply graces her with a thank you for her hospitality. He tells her that she no longer has to see him to the door as he already knows his way out. He wishes her well and then, that's it.

He's there and when she blinks, he's gone from her living room and out of her home.

Elena finds herself wondering where he will go. She thinks of running after him, to at least make sure he will be okay. But then, she remembers that he must have left for a reason. He must not want anyone to see him as death approaches his doorstep. She is glad that despite the situation she has put him in, that he had found comfort in her. Elena sits back down again and glances at the seat that he had just recently vacated. Her gaze settles on the cup of tea that he had put down.

She notices a crack on the china and hears her mother's voice in her head.

_Oh, Lena, how embarrassing! You should have checked the china first, oh dear. A lady must always have the best equipment, darling, _she said.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: I do not have an excuse for my incredibly late update. I would just like to thank TVD for the latest episode of the series for it had ignited so much Elijah-driven emotions and it made me finish this chapter. I found it so hard to write a character like Elijah so it took some time and a little push for me to finish.<p> 


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